Jar of Hearts
by Great-Need-to-Take-a-Nap
Summary: Will and Nico had just started dating. But Nico was keeping his space from the other demigod. That is, until one night he has a terrible nightmare and his boyfriend comes to the rescue.


Nico and Will started dating a couple of weeks ago. They were still just getting to know each other. Nico was trying to get comfortable with dating and being close to someone. Will was being very patient with him as Nico wouldn't even hold his hand. He cared about Will. He really did, but he spent so long fearing what others thought of him and thinking that he was always going to be alone. Now, he was in a relationship with a boy. A very cute boy. It was hard for him to adjust.

Tonight, Nico was alone in his room, in a deep sleep and in the middle of a very bad nightmare. He was reliving Tartarus and the jar that he had been trapped in. The dark and ominous Hades Cabin in Camp Half-Blood was filled with the soft and terrified cries of the fifteen-year-old demigod. Nico was tangled up in his black, skull decorated bedsheets, tossing and turning in the bed. He remained in the throes of his nightmare when the door to his cabin opened and someone called his name gently. The door closed and the person slowly walked over to Nico's bed and climbed in next to him. Warm arms encompassed Nico's cold form and a small kiss was planted on the top of his head.

"Nico?" the voice said again as the person gently shook the boy. Nico startled awake and panicked, trying to get out of the hold the person had on him. "Sh, Nico, calm down, it's me," the voice reassured him, keeping hold of the scared boy.

"Will?" Nico mumbled and saw the flash of a smile in the dark room. "What're you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see you. Then, I saw you were having a nightmare and decided to help," the son of Apollo explained, before realizing that he was still holding Nico. He knew that his boyfriend didn't like to be touched so he quickly let go and scooted away to give him his space. Strangely enough, a lot of disappointment seemed to cross Nico's face when Will did that. "What were you dreaming about?" Will asked gently, hoping to get Nico talking and to stay with him awhile.

"Tartarus," Nico said slowly, sitting up and pulling his knees up to his chest as he calmed his breathing down, though he was still shaking a little. "And the jar that I was held in when I was captured. I still remember how hard it was to breathe," Nico mumbled.

Will looked down quietly, wishing that he knew how to help his boyfriend. What he really wanted to do was hold him, rub his back, tell him it was just a dream and that he was alright. But there were a few problems with that strategy. Number one; Nico didn't like physical contact. Will had learned that in the beginning of the relationship. He cringed and flinched when hugged and jerked his hand away when Will had tried to take his hand. Even just a small kiss on the cheek was pushing his luck; and number two; it would have been a lie. The nightmare was real. It did happen and it was no doubt traumatizing.

So, he was really left with nothing to help Nico through this, making their relationship that much harder. What they had was rocky to begin with, but Will loved Nico and he was determined to make this work. That's why, even though Will craved physical contact, he gave Nico his space. Kissing him sparingly, and not hugging him or holding his hand like he wanted to. Especially once Nico had explained it to him. The boy was from a completely different era. An era where people like them were outcasts and ridiculed and look down on. Just coming out to the camp was terrifying. Add that to his dark parentage and Nico felt isolated. Like he was a freak; and Nico understood that times were different now, more accepting of them. The people at camp didn't care about it, but adjusting to that was going to take time. So, Will was giving him that time.

Yet, all of that did nothing to help Will with comforting Nico. He was at a loss of what to do. So, he just sat there with Nico, in the dark, watching his boyfriend shake with fear, and feeling like a terrible person because he didn't know how to help him. Nico's eyes glanced at him a few times, as if contemplating something. Then Nico did the completely unexpected.

"Will…hold me?" Nico whispered.

Will stared at him with wide eyes before nodding. The blonde demigod gently scooted closer, and once more, wrapped his arms around Nico's shaking form. Nico leaned into the touch and started to visibly relax. His shaking stopped and his breathing returned to normal. Both the demigods eventually shifted into a laying position on the bed with Nico resting his head on Will's chest. That' how they fell asleep and stayed there for the rest of the night, taking comfort in each other's arms.

It was a one night occurrence that turned into the norm for them. Now, every night, Will would sneak into Nico's cabin and the two of them would talk and laugh before falling asleep in each other's arms. Chiron knew about the two boys breaking the rules and Will sleeping in the wrong cabin with the dark demigod but he did nothing about it. For as a result of this new sleeping arrangement, it became a common sight for the two demigods to hold hands as they walked around camp. More importantly, Nico started to smile again.


End file.
